TMCnet News
In Response to Today's Supreme Court Ruling on MGM vs. Grokster, iMesh Unveils Authorized Peer-to-Peer Model and Service after a Year of Development; Company Names Record Industry Veteran Robert Summer Executive ChairmanNEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- June 27, 2005 -- iMesh, the long established peer-to-peer (P2P) music service that reached an early settlement agreement with the recording industry, today announced a fully authorized P2P business model and the upcoming launch of the newly configured iMesh. Following today's Supreme Court ruling on MGM vs. Grokster, the company is the first and only globally active P2P to offer a sanctioned model that will incorporate many user benefits common to the P2P file sharing experience, while assuring compensation to registered rightsholders. As a principle performance feature, the new iMesh, slated to roll out this year, will offer a deep selection of easily accessible content of all genres to be discovered, shared and enjoyed within an active community. iMesh founders Talmon Marco and Ofer Shabtai announced that they have appointed the former President of Sony Music International and President, RCA Records, Robert Summer to the post of Executive Chairman. Summer will oversee all aspects of the operation and liaise regularly with music industry partners to assure the performance and integrity of this new digital music venture. The new iMesh, which will roll out features through phased introductions this year, will offer consumers authorized content through ala carte downloads and a subscription sales plan including content from major record labels. iMesh will also provide access to a large pool of content, culled from multiple sources including the Gnutella network that remain free of any claim of rights. The first stage introduction will include an easily implemented feature that enables a confirmed rightsholder to make instant claim for protection and compensation for their works under an agreed formula. In aggregate, the users signed to iMesh will be able to search, sample and download more than 15 million tracks. "Today's Supreme Court decision in the Grokster case must be viewed as a victory for the creative community, consumers and new generation on-line services. This will pave the way to restore an environment that has been the underpinning of the American music legacy and supports the valued partnership with technological innovators." said Bob Summer, Executive Chairman of iMesh. "With the Court's decision, an era of legally managed peer-to-peer distribution, inclusive of assured compensation of all rights holders, begins. iMesh is prepared to grasp the opportunity." iMesh will support Windows Media Player 10 and will be compatible with any of the "Plays for Sure" devices and employ technology provided by Audible Magic that recognizes copyrighted content through acoustic fingerprinting. About iMesh Founded in 1999 and headquartered in New York, iMesh is one of the original peer-to-peer (P2P) music companies and the first to transition its model from free to commercial. Seeing the benefits and consumer acceptance of P2P early on, the company is committed to building an authorized P2P service and took proactive steps to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit with the recording industry in July 2004. With support of the recording industry, iMesh began building a new model and developed the technology to bring authorized P2P to market. iMesh is the first and only P2P company to unveil an authorized service and model that respects the interests of rights holders and will offer consumers all the attractive aspects of P2P for the most compelling legitimate digital music experience. |
